Tears of the Kingdom: The Search for Zelda

2023-05-26 22:02:00

Back to Hyrule. A new video game inspires young people and adults. Junge Seite author Elena Rausch tested it.

In 2017, a Nintendo title not only brought fans of the franchise on board, but also those who had never touched a game in the series. “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” triggered extreme hype in the gaming community and fans longed for a sequel to the video game. They had to wait six years until the sequel “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” finally appeared on the market in May of this year. Critics praised the game and fans lined up to get their hands on a copy. But does it live up to the hype?

The game begins atmospherically. We are in a cave system under Hyrule Castle and explore it with Princess Zelda. We control the main character Link as usual. As we delve deeper into the cave, Zelda enlightens us about an ancient culture, the Sonai. We see ancient structures with signs and paintings and a strange red aura that seems familiar.

After all, we are in the deepest point of the cave and from there the story really starts. A possibly familiar figure injures Link, destroying the Master Sword and taking Zelda down with him. Link barely escapes and the player wakes up – like in the predecessor – in a cave with no equipment and only three hearts.

After the first few hours of play, it becomes clear: the game is beautiful. It keeps the iconic look of its predecessor with improved graphics and some new animations. Like part one, this game is also an open world game. This means that you can move freely in the world and do not necessarily have to go through the main story line first. The world is the same and yet it is further expanded with islands in the sky and a cave system that is better not entered unprepared. Anyone who played the game “Breath of the Wild” shortly before the release of the new Zelda game shouldn’t have any problems with the controls. It’s exactly the same with a few new features.

And these features pack a punch: The main character, Link, has a new arm that allows him to glue things like stones, planks, and tree trunks together. This ability is called Ultrahand and allows the player to use their creativity and build the most extraordinary gadgets. Another ability is the so-called synthesis. With their help, objects can be combined with each other. A stick and a stone become an axe, a shield and a flamethrower become a shield that spits fire. There are already thousands of videos on social media of players assembling robots, tanks and aircraft in the game.

Despite all the good reviews, this game also has problems. Like its predecessor, it runs at 30 frames per second, which is a rather low frame rate for video games, on the Nintendo Switch. However, stuttering and frame rate drops are common, especially when using the Ultrahand. These don’t particularly impede the game, but they are still visually disturbing. It is also noticeable for players who know the first part that there is no continuity. Some elements of the previous game – such as shrines or guardians – seem to have disappeared, even though they played such a big role in the story. The characters themselves don’t seem to remember Link either, despite being the great hero who defeated the devastation in the first game.

Despite these shortcomings, “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is a must-have for any Zelda fan, even for those who never played the predecessor.

Elena Rausch is 19 years old and comes from Nußdorf am Haunsberg.

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